Infra-red heating panel



0t.21,1958 RL, FEARN 2,857,499

INFRA-RED HEATING PANEL Filed sept. 19, 1955 sheets-sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. ,Q/c HA ,eo EE FEAeM Oct. 2l, 1958 R. L. r-'EARN` INFRA-RED HEATING PANEL 2 Sheets-Shaml 2 Filed Sept. 19, 1955 INVENTOR. ,Q/cHA 2D LEE FEA EN N MM H15 A rroEA/EY INFRA-RED. HEATING PANEL Richard Lee Fearn, Homer City, Pa., assignor to Syntron Company, Homer City, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application September 19, 1955, Serial No. 534,994

9 Claims. (Cl. 219-19) This invention relates generally to infra-red heating panels and more particularly to the .construction of the .panel itself and the mounting of the same.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of the heating panel that does not provide any reflective surface and requires that all the heat emitted therefrom is by radiation.

Another object of this invention is the provision of .a radiant heating panel provided with an insulation backing which requires that the heat emitted therefrom travels only by radiation.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a simplied'form of frame for supporting the radiantheating panels together with the insulating backing which does not require polished surfaces as it does not function as a reflecting surface.

l nited States Patent O Another object is in the form of the structure for mounting the radiant heating panel comprising this invention in conjunction with other heating panels to providea furnace, oven or other form of concentrated heating structures.

Other objects and advantages of this invention appear hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exempliiication without limiting theinvention or claims thereto certain practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a heating panel comprising this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the heating panel illustrated in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal section of the'heating panel comprising this invention.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the heating panel comprising this invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the heating panel cornprising this invention.

Fig. 6 shows one form of mounting a series of the heating panels comprising this invention to create heat concentration.

Referring specifically to Fig. l, the heating panel cornprises the channel-shaped mounting panel having two flanges 2 and 3 and the top surface 4. This channel has secured thereto the end brackets 5, the upper portion of which is triangular in shape and has mounting holes. The lower portion of the end bracket provides opposed inwardly extending sides 6, the bottom sides of which are welded to the mounting panel assembly as indicated at 7. The bracket members are preferably positioned on the channel so that their vertical mounting plates extend slightly beyond the end of the channel for the purpose of leaving a gap for the insertion of the heating elements.

An angular terminal block cover 8 is employed between the bracket sides 6. This cover is secured to the bracket by means of the bolt 9.

The top of each terminal block cover 8 is provided with Patented Oct. 21, 1958 ICC a porcelain member 10 for the purpose of receiving the VWires 11 and 12, each` of which issecured to a terminal block 13 within the terminal block covers 8 and to which the ends of the heater elements 14 are secured.

Each of theheating elements 14 comprises a resistor 'wire formed as a sinuated at ribbon insulated from the sheath by uniform sections of electrical insulation material which resists fluxing and prevents grounding of the sinuated wire to the sheath as disclosed in U. S. patent application Serial No. 304,785 filed August 16, 1952,

for Sheathed Electric Heating Elements. lThe flattened sheath provides a continuous radiating surface. The sheath temperatures have ahigh temperature output and one eighth of these strips 14 are secured to each radiant heating panel for producing the desired amount of heat in each panel.

The terminals 15 that are turned inwardly are secured directly to the terminal blocks 13 thus placing each of the heaters 14 in multiple with each other as each heater is rated to be supplied with the same voltage.

The channel-shaped mounting panel'contains` two insulating blocks, 16 and 17 that fit thefsame. The outer insulating block 17 is made of an asbestos material which will stand very high temperatures and will not disintegrate. These insulating blocks 16 and 17 are substantially the same size and are of equal thickness. The insulating strip 16 contains approximately 85% magnesia and is of kcourse a good` insulating material. Both of these insulating strips are quite light and when they are set within the channel, the flanges '2 and 3 extend a little bit below the lower or asbestos block 17 as illustrated in the drawings to retain it in position.

`Aseries of-holes are drilled up through the insulating blocks andthrough the top 4 of the channel-mounting panel to receive the bolts 18, the heads of which embrace the angle iron members 19 and arey held lby the-lockwash ers 420 and nuts 21. The angle members 19 have the flanges 22 on either side to embrace the insulating 4member 17. These bolts, together with the heating'elements, hold the insulating material 17 in position although it is exposed between the lower edges of the anges as indicated.

The heating elements 14 are made up of resistor wire sinuated to a fiat-ribbon that is insulated from a sheath.

The ends of the sinuated ribbon are attached to contact members 15 that are turned inwardly and are secured to the terminal members 13. Thus, the shape of the heating elements 14 together with the angle irons 19-witl1 the bolts I18 secure the insulating material in position.

Power is supplied to all of these heating elements in multiple and they may be designed to become cherry-red in providing heat. The heat radiated from the exposed surface of the heating element is, of course, radiated directly from that surface. However, the heat on the insulation side cannot penetrate the asbestos insulating block 17 or magnesia insulating so it is required to return to the heating element raising its temperature and increasing its outer surface radiation by the amount returned. The backing of the heating provides more than of the heat forward and less than 5% loss through the back and sides, which is much more eflicient than that of an ordinary polished reflector. This device is more readily assembled and is less expensive than a highly polished reflector-type radiator, the efliciency of which decreases upon the loss of luster of the reflecting surface. It is costly to retain the reflectors polished.

In using the radiant heat panels, they may be assembled as illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein the brackets 5 are bolted as indicated at 23 to the mounting arms 24, and the mounting arms 24 represent the top of an arch under which a panel, such as indicated at 25, is caused to pass. Thus, mounting the heating elements in this fashion, m

one produces a furnace or oven. These radiant heating panels may be mounted in the form of opposed panels o r in the form of side walls with ceiling open for the purpose of heating anything traversing therebetween and thereby provide a drying furnace, oven, or special heater. The brackets onthe ends of the panel make it possible to bolt them into almost any desired shape. bolted on an angle iron structure which supports them in any desired configuration. The panels of this character may be equipped with temperature controls for accurately controlling the heat output.

I claim:

1. A radiant heating panel comprising a frame, a very light magnesia insulation means mounted on one side of said frame to provide an insulating face and ends, a plurality of electric heating elements disposed in parallel relation to each other and having terminal connections, each electric heating element having a face section with rearwardly directed end sections that correspond to and embrace the face and ends of said light magnesia insulation means for the full length thereof, `and terminals supported by said frame and secured to said terminal connections of said electric heating elements to retain said light magnesia insulation means on said frame.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said frame covers the back and a portion of the sides that embrace said light magnesia insulation means.

3. The structure of claim 1 which also includes bracket means extending transversely of said parallel electric heating elements, and bolts extending through said bracket `means and between said electric heating element and through said light magnesia insulation means and frame, and nut means to secure said bolt means in place.

4. The structure of claim 3 which also includes anges on the ends of said bracket means passing down over the outside of the ends of said electric heating elements and insulation means.

5. The structure of claim l which also includes a plurality of said panels each having mounting plates on the ends of their frames, structural racks and mounting means securing said plates to said racks to form a radiant heating bank.

6. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said light magnesia insulation means includes an inner block of 85% magnesia and an outer block containing asbestos and lying against the electric heating elements.

7. A radiant heating panel comprising a frame of channel cross section with a back and side flanges, a mounting plate for each end of said channel having side anges, the side anges of each mounting plate being secured to the corners of said channel adjacent the ends of the latter They may be to space said mounting plate outwardly and rearwardly from each end of said channel, very light magnesia insulating means in said channel and having an exposed face and ends, electric heating elements having turned back ends embracing said exposed face and ends of said light magnesia insulating means, terminals on said heating elements extending between the anges of the mounting plates to connect the same in a circuit, cover means closing over said terminals and brackets embracing said electric heating elements and attached to said channel back to hold the intermediate portion of said assembly in place.

8. A radiant heating panel comprising a frame with outwardly extending anges, a lightweight heat-impenetrable insulating block means seated on said frame between said flanges and extending thereabove, electrical terminal means mounted at each end of said frame, and electric heating element means electrically connected to said electric terminal means with the intermediate part thereof extending across the face of said insulating block means, mounting brackets extending transversely of said electrical heating elements intermediate their ends and bolt means connecting said frame and said brackets to draw the heating elements into contact with said insulating block means and secure the same with the insulating block means to said frame.

9. A radiant heating panel comprising a frame with outwardly extending flanges, a lightweight heatimpenetrable insulating block means seated on said frame between said anges and extending thereabove, electrical terminal means mounted at each end of said frame, electric heating element means electrically connected to said electric terminal means with the intermediate part thereof extending across and embracing the face of said insulating block means and bolt means attached to said frame and connected to said heating element means intermediate the ends thereof, said heating element means supporting said insulating block means seated in position on said frame between said flanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,150,426 Hadaway Aug. 17, 1915 1,504,208 Brine Aug. l2, 1924r 1,949,450 Brown Mar. 6, 1934 2,255,518 Norton Sept. 9, 1,941 2,489,190 Lelong Nov. 22, 1949 2,580,111 Mannist Dec. 25, 1951 2,694,741 Rice et al Nov. 16, 1954 2,742,556 Bovenkerk Apr. 17, 1956 

